The Purpose of the study was to highlight the primary care managers' perception of the barriers and opportunities in the implementation of the national guidelines for harmful drinking and alcohol abuse in KalmarCounty. The data was collected by questionnaires which were directed to all primary care managers in the county. The response rate was low, 40%. The data collection was complemented at a later stage with a non-response analysis. To analyze the results implementation theory with following terms were used: wants to, understand and know. In this study, the managers response showed an ambivalence and the willingness to use the national guidelines were not evident. On the one hand, patients with for harmful drinking and alcohol abuse is a tasks for primary care, but on the other hand, it was considered to a greater extent to be social services responsibility. The understanding of the use of guidelines existed and primary care has a tradition of making use of the guidelines, however in this case the respondents lack education. The ability to implement the national guidelines seemed lacking, which may be due to increased tasks and radical changes involving time constraints.